I decided to be a bit cultured yesterday and go and see a play. In Leeds. Called Angus Thongs & Even More Snogging. That's how full of maturioisity I am at age 37. I grabbed some of the ace gang and we drove up to a soundtrack of Whitney, Abba, Kylie & Rizzle Kicks (just kidding about that last one, but you have to try and pretend you are down with the kids when you are going to see a play about teens)! Once we had located the West Yorkshire Playhouse (asking where it was while actually standing on the steps was a bit of an embarrassing faux pas), it was time to get teenage kicks & relive one's youth (even though I was never a 15 year old girl) (as far as I am aware).
For those of you who are not in the know about the madcap adventures of Georgia Nicholson, well shame on you. She is the creation of ace writer Louise Rennison who penned 10 diaries of her bonkers adventures with her chumettes (the ace gang), her experiences on the rack of lurrve (usually with members of local band The Stiff Dylans) & her loonier than a loon on loon tablets family. It was so successful that there was a film which was also very good, not least because I got to see Steve Jones take his top off. The stage version however, is a complete marvel, an utter hoot and the young cast are a brilliant representation of the characters they portray. Naomi Peterson is the living embodiment of Georgia Nicholson. She seems to be a cross between Sue Heck from The Middle and a young Miranda - exuding awkwardness, zaniness and an endearing charm each time she's on the stage. She's ably supported by well cast ace gang, though most notably Emily Houghton as Rosie is hilarious for every single second she is on stage. A handsome Edward Green represents the idealistic Stiff Dylans singer (& environmentalist) Robbie - and it's interesting how even subtle things show the difference between him and Georgia, but most notably between him and Dave The Laugh. Robbie is all preppy school uniform, blazers, environmental angst (leading to some hilarious songs performed with earnest by the fictitious band) & oh so sensible. Dave The Laugh (played spot on by Lewis Rainer) is all floppy fringe, dishevelled-chic school uniform & playing naively innocent tickle games with Georgia that you know are going to turn into something more once they realise they are made for each other. Dave is the perfect complement to Georgia, but it's kudos to Edward Green that Robbie is not just a distraction but a serious diversion that all teens & adults need to go through before The One comes along (or the one who's been there all along).
And it's the cast that brings this 2+ hours of hilarity to life. As you go through an abridged version of most of the books, Georgia falls for Robbie, then falls for italian stud Massimo before realising her destiny lies with soulmate Dave. You know it's going to happen, you know the two of them are inevitable, yet you are urging Georgia to get some Robbie snog on, willing her to get some Massimo manliness so these experiences are out the way and ready her for love with Dave. It's never dull and along the way are some riotous moments that had the whole audience laughing so hard, I'm surprised they didn't need the piddly piddly department long before the break. Whether it be the daft things teens do to rebel against school rules (packing lunch into their berets is just one such moment) or spying on love rival Wet Lindsay, it's well thought out and excellently presented. There's a brilliant date montage with Robbie and Georgia, particularly when they act out being on a rollercoaster, pausing to pose for the picture; a hockey accident is done extremely well in slow motion, with Dave being particularly excellent as the on-looker willing it not to happen; the school kids dressed as blood for a Romeo and Juliet audition has to be seen to be believed; Massimo doing "sexy bomber" for sex bomb is cringey and amazing all at once; the parents of Georgia (who also excel as lovestruck teachers) are comedy dynamite & everything involving the animated puppetry of Libby the sister and Angus the cat is gold.
It's some surprisingly tender moments that give this play real heart and soul. Lewis Rainer does incredibly well balancing Dave just right between giddy goofy schoolboy (the type I would have been so in love with 20 years ago) and lovestruck teen. His moments where Georgia unwittingly rejects him are quite touching. Similarly when he spends the night with Georgia after Angus has an accident, it's endearingly sweet and lovely - Naomi Peterson is equally brilliant here, pushing Georgia to where you believe she can see what's going on under her nose and then yanking the rug from under the audience with a literal door slam and you still end up rooting for her.
It's a convivial atmosphere from start to finish - with Ace Gang & Stiff Dylan stickers handed out with abundance & Georgia talking to the audience, you feel part of the proceedings. Not a person remained seated at the end when you are encouraged to get up and do Viking Bison Disco Inferno Dance (which works surprisingly well to Madonna's Give Me All Ur Luvin, I'll have you know). You leave with a cosmic horn for the play - indeed, it's the play equivalent of a number ten on the snogometer. Long may it continue :)
The Ace Gang top 21 songs of the week:
21 ~ Neo, Fighting The Dark
20 ~ Kelly Clarkson, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
19 ~ One Direction, One Thing
18 ~ Darren Hayes, Black Out The Sun
17 ~ William Young, Losing Myself (NE)
16 ~ Nicola Roberts, Yo Yo
15 ~ Stooshe, Love Me (NE)
14 ~ Jason Mraz, I Won't Give Up
13 ~ Scissor Sisters, Shady Love
12 ~ Marcus Collins, 7 Nation Army
11 ~ Little Jackie, 31 Flavours
10 ~ JLS, Proud
09 ~ LeKid, Human Behaviour
08 ~ Christopher, Nothing in Common
07 ~ Marie Serneholt, Salt & Pepper
06 ~ Eric Saade, Love is Calling
05 ~ fun, We Are Young
04 ~ Darin, Nobody Knows
03 ~ Simon Curtis, Starlight
02 ~ Madonna, Give Me All Ur Luvin'
01 ~ Smash Cast, Let Me Be Your Star (3 weeks)
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